The McMurry University Board of Trustees decided at its October 13th meeting that the best course of action for the University is to use no name for our athletic teams. This option means that McMurry athletic teams would simply be referred to, for example, as McMurry Men’s Basketball or McMurry Swimming. Having no athletic team name will allow McMurry’s athletic teams to remain in good standing with the NCAA and not subject them to the penalty of being barred from hosting post-season tournaments and potentially losing competitors who will not schedule games with “Indians.”

McMurry’s president, Dr. John Russell said, “The Board and I believe that it is time to move on. It is time to focus our resources on creating more opportunities for our students. McMurry’s values are reflected less by what our athletic teams are called than by who we are and what we do. McMurryUniversity has been committed to honoring Native Americans since its founding in 1923. Regardless of the NCAA position on our team names, we will continue to meet our commitment to honor the Native American and to the history and culture that has ALWAYS defined McMurry.”

Founded in 1923 by the United Methodist Church and offering bachelors’ degrees in the fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, business, education, and nursing, McMurry University has gained a national reputation for excellence and value through the achievements of our faculty, students, and graduates. McMurry’s students are affected daily by its Core Values: Christian Faith as the foundation of life, Personal Relationships as the catalyst for life, Learning as the journey of life, Excellence as the goal of life, and Service as the measure of life. McMurry boasts an outstanding faculty and staff whose goal is to maximize each student’s level of achievement and to expose them to those qualities that go into making successful lives. McMurry has been recognized annually since 1996 by US News and World Report for quality and value.